7.07 Review

Five-0 must free McGarrett’s mother, Doris (Christine Lahti), when Catherine (Michelle Borth) informs them that she was captured and is about to be executed after attempting to free Wo Fat’s imprisoned father. Also, Chin loses his appeal to have Sara’s adoption delayed, and she must move to Mexico, on the 150th episode of HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Nov. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.

150 episodes. That are 6450 minutes of entertainment. And most of these were highly entertaining.

Thank you, cast and crew, and everyone involved for your hard and dedicated work to bring these 107,50 hours of Hawaii Five-0 into our homes and hearts.

We certainly don’t always see eye to eye on the storyline, the writing in general or logistics, timelines and other minor things. Sometimes I am not happy with some of the acting, or the location or whatever else I think was worth complaining about.

But week after week I come back for more of my favorite show. And without all your hard work I wouldn’t have something to complain about. And most importantly, I wouldn’t have something to watch and love week after week.

And one hundred and fifty episodes is something you all, everyone involved, can be damn proud of. As proud as I am happy to see it week after week on my screen.

There won’t be 150 more of this, and I am OK with it. When we will be able to enjoy another full season, that will be a wonderful thing. Even if this season would be the last which I do not believe it will be, but even if for some reason it would be, I would be OK with that too. Because, seven years of wonderful entertainment is something to cherish and be thankful for.

So, here is to however more episodes we’re going to get. Thank you for what we already got and thank you for what we will get in the future.

And now, let’s take a look at this week’s episode.

Even before this episode aired there was a lot of chatter about all the spoilers we got from various sources. Some of them contradicting.

But this review will not be about those interpretations from Alex, who undoubtedly knows the character he so perfectly breathed life into for the last six years, better than anyone. But who also undoubtedly does not write the show. And doesn’t know much more about what is going to happen in the future than we do.

I respect and admire him for speaking his mind so frankly. He gave us some great interviews. But he doesn’t watch the show, he has no idea what landed on the cutting room floor, and I’m sure that was quite a lot. And he does not know what PL has planned for the characters.

And therefore, this review will be about myinterpretation of what I have seen in the last six plus years, and what I take from this episode. 😉

So, the show starts off with super cute scenes of Steve in the kitchen preparing a dinner. Don’t you just love watching him getting through all this trouble for a date? And obviously having fun doing it, and he even looks like he knows what he’s doing.

Cokie said, he prepares for this just like for any other OP. 🙂

No matter what, I thought it was really cute. And yes, of course, Steve can cook. I never had any doubt he would know how to prepare a decent meal. If you live alone, and want to eat healthy, which I’m sure Steve does, you need to learn to cook at some point. Eating out only goes so far.

And right after this the show gets even more delicious. Excuse the pun, but watching Steve getting dressed? Oh well. 🙂

And please note that this seems to be the very first time that the show got the scars right. They even messed up the tattoo a little bit from the bullet that entered his arm. I’m impressed.

Eight week old scars? They did a pretty good job with it. And seeing the entry wound, well, that bullet would have done a lot of damage going in from the side. Let’s not talk about the medical side, but I think they did a very good job showing us in a subtle way that they are aware of the events from 6.25. I for sure prefer this over a verbal reminder any day.

And can I just say that I prefer this body over the six pack from a few years back. This looks fit, but not like someone who spends most of his time in the gym. He looks perfect like this. 🙂

And yeah, he looked damn good in that blue and black. I thought it was cute how he checked himself in the mirror. Cute. Ah, darn, there is that word again. I’m sure McG wouldn’t be happy being called cute and adorable. Well, guess he has to live with it. LOL

So, I take it this is grape juice, right? Surely Steve wouldn’t drink wine. Come on, show, this is a major fail. I kind of accepted that Steve still runs around pretty much like nothing has happened, and that is really kinda OK. Because he would power through it; just another obstacle to get past. But drinking wine? No, I don’t think he would do that. He would opt for water or juice.

But OK, back to Steve’s OP preparation, eh, I mean dinner preparation. He really put some thought into it, with flowers and all. 🙂

And finally, his dinner date arrives. I guess taste is something one can discuss to no end? I think she looked like a white speck on a white canvass. Who decided on this dress with her complexion and that hair? Alright, not like others, I do think she had a bad hair day, but it wasn’t as bad as I first thought. She would look much better without her hair being this blond and straight. But hey, I guess that is something she likes.

And I certainly don’t like the dress. At all. OK, I am not a man, so maybe they like it. Whatever.

BUT, I really liked all their scenes. That was really cute. Loved the scene at the door, that was adorable. And I also later liked their actual dinner. Yeah, I don’t have anything against Lynn. I really enjoyed her episodes so far. That does not mean, however, that I think there is anything serious going on. And I do believe Lynn is history now. But I do like her. She is harmless enough. And she is nice enough. Someone Steve can have some happy hours with. Nothing for long-term. But I think that is not something either of them wants from this.

Back in the valentine’s episode, Lynn said she doesn’t want to be the rebound girl, but seeing her still with Steve obviously means she is just in for the same reasons he is. Having a fun time. And there is nothing wrong with that. They are both consenting adults. Let them have fun.

That doesn’t make him a pig, and doesn’t make her a stupid slut. It seems to me they are on the same wave. She knows he is not over Catherine, the woman he wanted to marry, and I don’t think she expects anything from Steve. And that is good.

OK, I have to confess, I did not recognize Grace in this picture.

OK, tell me, how can someone annoy me to no end when he is not even in the episode? You know my stand on Dannoying as a dad to Grace, so I don’t need to repeat in length how I think he is obsessed with his daughter in a very disturbing kind of way. But now asking Lou to get his son to spy on his daughter? That goes way too far.

And I am even annoyed with Grover. He goes for that? That is just wrong. He should have put that idiot in his place. The only grown up in all this is Will. Very mature, smart young man. Well, also Gracie’s boyfriend, but that is a different matter.

I loved that he said it is very obvious that Grace’s father doesn’t trust her. And I think it is a shame. If Dannoying wants to know something, he should go the direct way, or let it rest. With his way, he will only drive his daughter further away. I do hope that is what is going to happen, because what he is doing is wrong. On so many levels.

This has nothing to do with good parenting and worrying about your kid. He wants total control over his daughter, and want to know every last detail. Huh, sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It is what he always says about Steve. But that is nothing but reflecting his own needs.

Anyway, this little scheme totally annoys the crap outta me.

Although I’m sure the story about Sarah is far from over, it was clear that Chin would not adopt her right away. And I’m still not sure if it would be the right thing to do. My verdict for it is still out there. It’s just that I don’t see how Chin would be able to take care of her with his job and all.

But I have to admit that the kid is very cute and it was a total joy to watch her with DDK. She did really good in all her scenes, and I hope to see her again. Although it would be cool if her adoptive parents were really good people and if Chin should get Sarah it should be for all the right reasons and not because her relatives were associated with any crime. That would be refreshing and nice.

After seeing what the others are doing we go back to Steve and Lynn. And I have to tell you, I liked seeing that. And yes, I am still totally team McRoll because they are simply the best couple on TV, but these two are also kinda cute to watch. It is just fun to see some happiness for Steve. There are very few people who deserve it more than he does.

Although I find it rather funny that he and Cath never made it to dinner, and now it seems that he makes it to dinner, but not to… well, you know what I mean.

But it seems he does enjoy the time, so who am I to complain? Right. Don’t answer that. I will complain in a bit. 😉

Of course, this wouldn’t be Five-0 if the happy times would last any length of time. He gets a call from none other than Catherine Rollins.

How adorable were his faces? And I loved that pretty much the first out of his mouth was the question if she was alright. You can see how deeply he still cares for her. He might not be in love with her, but he certainly still loves her. And that will most likely never change.

I loved his confusion and how he tried to explain to Lynn who was at the door. It was clear that he was not feeling comfortable with the whole situation. Also loved the little pause before he opened the door. Just imagine how he must have felt in that moment.

Lynn might think she is the girlfriend, but Catherine is for sure the woman in his life. There is just no competition. Girl of the moment vs woman of his life. It’s laughable. Opening that door made that clear. Just wow. From that moment, the power was back in the house. These two on screen? You have to look long and hard to find another couple like that.

Steve and Catherine are just awesome together, and watching Alex and Michelle playing these two characters? They come to life, it’s kinda magic watching it.

So, you can see, I like Steve with Lynn, but I LOVE Steve and Catherine. Every second of these characters is such a joy. Such power and energy.

I’m not sure if Cath was really that surprised to see another woman there. I kinda dreaded this so-called triangle, but I really liked all those scenes.

And it gave us the best eyeroll ever. LOL

It only takes a few moments to learn why Catherine is there. Steve’s mother is in trouble. Well, I guess Catherine kept her promise from 3.01 to take care of his mom like she was her own. That of course, opens a completely new can of worms. Did she know all the time where Doris was and kept that from Steve? Do we really wanna know that? Well, we will talk about it in a bit.

I laughed out loud when the credits started to roll. I had totally forgotten that this was all still the teaser. 8:33 minutes. I think that was the longest teaser of the show.

So, Steve learns that his mother again has used him to her advantage. Guess he is used to it by now, and even only reluctantly agrees to help her.

But Catherine is right, she is still his mother. And I don’t think the betrayal defines her, but the years that she actually was his mother. Steve is a wonderful human being. You develop your character and what kind of person you will be, in your early life. In the first 15 to 16 years. And Doris McGarrett must have done something right, because she raised a great person.

Sure, her ‘death’ also formed him, and all the heartache he had to go through during his life, but despite all that, Steve is a decent, honorable human being with a big heart. And a lot of that was her doing.

I despise Doris for what she has done to Steve when he was older, all the lies she told him when she got back from her death. That was a worse betrayal than leaving them in the first place.

But I love her for raising such a wonderful man. And I LOVE seeing them together on screen. There is nothing quite like Steve and Doris. Or better Alex O and Christine Lathi. Wow. Put them together and sparks are flying.

I loved Christine Lathi as his mom from the second I saw her. They are SO good together. And she plays his mom to perfection.

Anyway, very powerful scenes on the Lanai. Although I wonder where Cath got her Intel from? I mean, she knew Doris was in trouble, but didn’t even know where she was? This whole story didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Catherine kept it very classy. Lynn, not so much. I don’t believe for a second it was an accident to tell Cath about the proposal. What was she thinking? Why on earth would she think Cath knew about it? That made zero sense. Nope, I think that was on purpose. To mark her territory, like telling her “you blew it”. Which is total crap, since Cath never knew he would ask her. Steve wasn’t really that forthcoming with his declarations of love in the past. 😉

But we’re going to talk about that a little later. So, no I don’t believe it was a slip of the tongue. I am kinda glad though Cath learned about it. The how was not the best, but the result was important.

I had to laugh at the good-bye Steve and Lynn had. What was that? Not even a kiss? And she never asked him to come back, just to be OK. I think she knows it is over.

In my eyes, Lynn is history. And she knows it. The second Cath came in, she knew she doesn’t stand a chance against Catherine. And I think it became clear to her that they really are just a casual affair, when Steve never even took the time to put his bags down. He is not emotionally involved with Lynn.

She knew that on a certain level, but I think this meeting made it crystal clear that there never will be more for the two of them.

Now we come to some of my favorite scenes from this episode. And no, I’m not talking about little Stevie learning to ride a bike. By the way, wasn’t that boy a bit old to just be learning to ride his bicycle? Those flashbacks were cute scenes, and a really good job by Emma Schlamme, Christine Lathi’s daughter. How cool was it that they could make this happen? I loved it.

And it showed me that Steve had a good childhood with a loving mother. Although didn’t she say in 3.01 that her job even back then had been a cover? Her teaching job was just a cover, what had she really been doing? Obviously not traveling around. So, was she at the CIA in Honolulu? Doing what exactly? Pushing papers? Doesn’t seem the type for that.

But I guess that again is something we shouldn’t be thinking about since the writers obviously don’t think too hard about such details. Why should we? 😉

My favorite scene here was Steve and Cath in the airplane, finally talking. I loved the introvert Steve, and how Cath touched him to see if he was OK. That was a very sweet scene.

But what I loved most was their actual talk. So, Catherine was recruited by the CIA when she was in Afghanistan. I guess we all thought so. Maybe she was even forced to join. Remember that Steve had been threatened by the CIA back then.

Maybe they approached Cath and threatened to go after Steve if she didn’t join them. But that is really only speculation.

What really angers me is that she didn’t tell Steve about it. When she came back in 5.25 she should have told him that she was working for the CIA and that there would be the possibility she would be called back to do another OP.

I do believe she had every intention of staying. But she should have told him about her job. Not doing so was a huge betrayal. I don’t know what they talked about back then, but she for sure did not mention that she was working as a spy. She surely kept her cover story of teaching in Afghanistan. By the way, the same cover Doris used. Being a teacher and that.

By not telling him, she did not only openly lie to him, but also by omission. I don’t blame her for not telling him about the mission she was going on when she left. But I do blame her for not telling that she was going on a mission.

One could argue that Steve should have asked her sooner. But he did it in his own time. And maybe subconsciously he knew that something was not right. I think they both are at fault here. But I do blame Catherine a lot more than I can blame Steve.

She did something pretty horrible; she lied about a huge part of her life. She pretended to be someone she was not. When she came back and didn’t tell Steve, she doomed their relationship.

I do believe that their relationship until that point had been one based on truth and trust. Catherine blew that. Big time. Back in season three she had kept something from Steve, but that hadn’t been a big deal because she didn’t do it to gain anything from it. She did it as a favor for Doris. That was something Steve could forgive.

But this is something so fundamentally, that is not something he can easily forget or forgive. She obviously didn’t feel like she could trust him with it. I’m sure Steve had often been in a situation where he couldn’t tell her where he was going or what he was doing, but she knew his occupation, knew that he was on a classified OP. Catherine should have given him the same.

She didn’t. She decided to lie to him. To make up a cover about what she had been doing all that time in Afghanistan, and she made up another cover for why she had to leave. She made him believe she left him because that relationship wasn’t enough for her. I’m sorry, but he deserved better. He deserved to know that she left for a classified mission.

He knows all about classified. But she didn’t give him that. She outright lied to him.

I do believe that Cath loves Steve with all her heart, and that Steve loves Catherine. But this stands in their way, and will be for a very long time. More about that when we reach the end of the episode. Whenever that will be, the way this review is going it might take a while. 🙂

What I also loved is that she knows he saved her ass while she was in Kiev. I hope she feels bad about the way he found out what she was doing. That’s mean, right? But I am mad at her. For the moment. 😉

Now we switch back to Grover and his son. Still not liking how he tries to get his son to snoop for Dannoying. That is not right. By the way, the kid does a great job!

Well, to be honest, if Steve doesn’t want the team to know something, he should not have called Dannoying. Steve should know by now that the idiot can’t keep his mouth shut.

Although, since he was in Jersey why the heck did Steve send him a text anyway? To keep him informed? Yeah, sure. As if. He should actually have talked to Chin and Lou about it. He would expect them to come to him with something like that, he should give them the same curtesy.

Did you notice that this scene was going backwards?

So, they just knew that guy could give them all the needed information? How did they know that? And he just gave up all that information because they asked so nicely?

Obviously, they gathered quite a lot of Intel, either from that guy, or from other sources as well. That again brings me to the question how Catherine got her Intel about Doris in the first place. And why weren’t there any other operatives helping her? They flew to Morocco on a military transport. How did that happen? Who is backing up this operation but doesn’t want to be seen?

Yeah, Catherine, join the club. Because I also don’t understand this. Why would Doris go after Yao Fat, the guy she was supposed to kill some 40 years ago? By the way, we didn’t get ANY answers about any of that. In case you were still interested or even knew what kind of answers we are waiting for.

Frankly, I have long forgotten. Doris was supposed to kill Yao, killed his wife instead, took in little Wo, then had to give him up. We already knew that. We didn’t get any new information.

Anyway, we get another glimpse at young Doris. I thought that scene was rather stupid. I mean come on, Doris had no problem killing people, but was heartbroken and drowned in guilt over this one OP that went wrong? Yeah sure. And was a crying mess when little Stevie got home from school? Again overwhelmed by guilt? Well, she took a darn long time to sooth her conscience by freeing Yao Fat. This whole story doesn’t make any sense. But as PL said, it is far from over. As if I would care.

But don’t get me wrong, I don’t give a ff about the storyline, but I would love to see Doris again and again. 🙂

Look at how they changed the living room and the rest of the house. Nice touch.

Twenty minutes into the show and the team is back together. Yeah, Chin, you should have knocked. He’s lucky that he wasn’t killed on the spot.

Now I had a good laugh. Seriously, they expect that guy just to sit there and wait for someone to free him? He was just tied to a chair, looked very easy to get out of that. And by the way, how long was he already sitting there?

And here we’re talking about time-line again. The team arrived in Morocco, which by the way is a miracle in itself. Do the writers even know where Morocco is, and how long it takes to get there?

How did they even get a flight? Guess they flew commercial, which takes anything between 30 and 60 hours to get from Honolulu to Rabat, with 1 to 3 stops on the way. If you can even get the flights on such short notice. And not even to talk about the cost for such tickets. Or did they also fly with the military? Highly doubtful.

Anyway, I thought this was done without given it any thought.

But a cool scene with Steve saying he was already in hell. Cute, Catherine’s almost eye-roll at that.

Cute scene with Chin and Kono. Getting ready and talking about the outcome with Sarah.

It was really convenient that the power source wasn’t guarded at all. 😉

Here is something that I was wondering about a little later during the episode, but I then researched it, and in this scene it is pretty clear. They are using tactical earpieces for two way communication. That means they all hear what the other is saying. That is also why they address by name who they want to do something. So, when Steve says “Kono, you…” that is also heard by Chin, Cath and Lou.

That is important, because they all will later hear Doris and Steve’s conversation through Steve’s tactical earpiece. Watching it a second and third time with this knowledge gives the scenes an even more powerful meaning. At least I think so.

Our boys and girls were not firing even one shot. Have you noticed that? Would have been kinda weird if they did. I mean these guys are CIA people, right? Or were they all rogue agents? I don’t think so; I believe they were doing official business, one that nobody was supposed to know about.

That makes you wonder how and why Steve had been brought there the last time he had been to the place.

Anyway, great scenes taking the site by storm, but without anyone even noticing.

And now on to get Doris. Great to have Chin and Cath as his eyes, and Lou and Kono as the back-up from the outside.

Oh, and by the way, I loved to see all those faces from BTS pics. There were a few familiar faces posing as guards. 🙂

Oh dear, mom is beating up her son. LOL Well, Steve held back since he knew who he was fighting. I think. 😉

Great scenes. Very well done. Loved the surprise on Doris’ face.

Yeah, Steve, I would also start to regret coming. Poor boy hit his head. That was so well acted. Also loved how they said to get outta there together. These two are so amazing together. Christine Lathi and Alex O have such chemistry together, but I guess I already said that. Well, it’s true and can’t be said often enough.

Absolutely loved the following scenes. Although what Doris was saying about why she didn’t tell him about Wo Fat… I didn’t buy it. She lied to him for years, even after she knew that Wo Fat had tortured her own son for information. And I truly don’t understand, and can’t see why she thinks Steve should understand after all he went through. Although he kinda does understand why she did what she did. Oh well.

Very powerful performance by the both of them, but what else is new. I have truly missed Doris, or better Christine Lathi’s performance as Doris. Amazing.

But I truly enjoyed the flashback and Steve’s “it was the last time, for a very long time”.

And how Steve told Doris that she had been an idiot to try freeing Yao on her own. 🙂

Great editing job to give us the flashback here. This whole rescue operation felt very smooth. Great job all around.

Steve, what did you expect? Of course she won’t leave Yao behind. She came for him, she won’t leave without him. So, now they start the second rescue mission.

We all knew we would see Yao again when we were introduced to him back in 6.24, but who would have thought it would be Steve who comes to his rescue.

Why would the CIA, or any organization for that matter, keep this man hidden for 20 years? Just imagine the effort and money that went into keeping this man prisoner. Why doing that? What are his secrets? And if he really was that dangerous why not just kill him? It’s not like that wouldn’t be an option.

It doesn’t take long for the second rescue attempt to go sideways. And a short time later Doris, Yao and Steve are captured.

OK, this sent a shiver down my spine. I could only think “No, no, no way. Not again.” Very powerful image, and I think most had the same thought.

Of course, Steve played it very cool. Great scenes, and I loved Steve’s line of needing help two minutes ago.

I wonder about Doris’ look though. Did she know about what Wo Fat did to her son the second time he had been captured? From her look I think she doesn’t really. Maybe she couldn’t get her hands on the report. I mean there was a detailed report, wasn’t there? After all, the head of the Governor’s Task Force had been kidnapped and had almost been killed. But maybe Doris doesn’t really know any details.

After this we get the usual escape, small explosion, bit of running around.

And finally we’re at what we have all been waiting for. The talk, closure, or whatever. 😉

First of all, let me say, that I loved these scenes. I will say it again, Christine Lathi and Alex O are just phenomenal together. I so hope we will see her again very soon. Yeah, if you want move in down the road from Steve.

OK, but now about the actual scene. I believe Doris when she says she thought she did the right thing. But thinking doing that and actually doing it are two different things. But I doubt she realizes that.

And Steve really is such a sweet and adorable man. Giving his mom that peace with saying she was a good mom, that was an incredible sweet thing to do. Only a person at peace with the situation and himself can do such a thing.

I do see some sort of closure with these two, at least that Steve has made his peace with her. But I’m not sure if Doris has ever told him the truth about anything that concerns Wo Fat. But I also think Steve is OK with that too. I guess he has accepted the situation as what it is. His mom will come and go as she pleases, and as it is convenient for her.

He has to live with that, and I’m sure now he can and will let it rest.

And now we have another good bye, one I was really looking forward to. Not the good bye, but the talk. Listening to them finally really talking. And with the knowledge that Catherine knows that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, well that makes it a whole different ball game.

And I loved that they practically did the whole proposal thing. Just their way, you know. I think it was important that they both know what could have been.

I think they both are sad that things are as they are. At this moment in time, and at their place in life, they can’t be together. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be at a later date.

They love each other, they care deeply for each other. They both need time to finally get a new perspective of their relationship. And yes, I think they still have one. They are at the very least friends for life. That will never change.

They both needed this. Cath finally needed to tell Steve the truth, and Steve needed to learn that she didn’t leave him.

People do change, but before that doesn’t happen, before they are both in the right set of mind, at the same time they can’t be together and be happy. But when they finally find their way back to each other, and I have no doubt they will, they will be the perfect pair.

They are meant for each other; just not right now.

But one thing I do know, Lynn is done. Just look at his face when Cath mentions her.

I don’t think either of them thinks about getting back together at this moment, and I do think Steve (and therefor Alex’s interpretation of his thoughts) believes they are done. But seeing the big picture, I don’t think they are at all. This is a new, better chapter coming at a later time.

Does this look like a man being over the most important person in his life? I don’t think so.

We’re still not done with the episode. The team needs to get home and give us a few more emotional scenes.

First we go to Chin’s place to find it deserted. Very nice idea with the drawing of what they have done together. Very well done, and a beautiful song to go with it.

Just as good were the scenes at Steve’s house. Him finding the box and starting to read. I hope he will find some answers in those diaries.

This was, I think, the longest episode with 43:56 minutes, so, it is only fitting that the review is also pretty long. 😉

What’s left is my verdict, but I’m sure that is very clear already. I think that was an awesome episode. It had lots of humor, it had a bit of action, but most important of all it had Doris and Catherine in it.

I have truly missed them both. Sure, Catherine a bit more than Doris, but I was equally happy to see them.

I loved all the interaction between Steve and his mom, and I’m glad they had the opportunity to talk. I’m happy with what we got in this episode. I couldn’t care less about Yao Fat, and the connection to Doris, but I’m glad Steve and mom talked at least a little about Wo Fat. And that she took the chance to apologize to her son.

The other thing I am really happy with is the Catherine story. I felt it was really important for this to happen. Now, both can move on. Towards each other, or away from each other. Both is possible. They are free now. And if fate is on their side, they will find their way back to each other.

There is no door closed on that. That door is finally really open. Now they can get that way. Before, with all the lies, and the hesitation and not talking, they were doomed. They were always destined to be together, and I feel now the way is free for that actually to happen.

Neither of them is at the point where it could work, but now they have the chance to actually get there.

Do I think all this ‘drama’ was necessary? Hell no. I think they were the best couple on TV. Ever. But after 4.21 they were no more. And they still need time to get back on track. But I am sure it will happen. Eventually. Mark my words.

And in the meantime, I will enjoy whatever adventures Steve will have to master, whatever girl he will entertain. Because I know his woman will be back. 🙂

All screen-shots were done by me. Credit to CBS. The images used in this post are presented under the Fair Use Policy. The use of this material is intended for non-profit, entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

And please remember,I don’t write reviews with the claim to be objective. This is how I perceived this episode. If you disagree… that is just fine. I don’t claim in any way that my opinion is the right and only one. This is supposed to be fun, so, don’t take any of this too seriously. Always remember, this is just a TV show.

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58 thoughts on “7.07 Review”

I think that it was Doris that recruited Catherine. And Catherine agreed to it. As I see a lot of Doris in Catherine. As do not think it was a threat to be forced to join up. Just my two cents worth.
You are right as Lynn has no chance with Catherine. Want Steve and Catherine to get together. But really think Steve deserves to have the marriage and family life he craves. In a sense, Catherine can’t give him that. As she is busy with his mother.
Look on her face when Lynn told her about the would be proposal.
Hope Doris and Steve as well as Catherine one day sit down and tell him the truth. No more lies. As all he wants when that day comes, is nothing but the truth from their mouths.
As also Chin, my favorite character from the show, really it is only the beginning of his quest. To get back his niece. As really it is going to be a big story line in season 7 says Peter L.
Lou I love but to spy on his own son with Danny’s daughter. Both he and Danny need to trust their children. They are growing up. As they need to give them space. As love Lou’s son, mature and grown up for his age.
Here is hopefully to 150 more episodes and counting!

Your review was great Sam. A bit harsher on Cath than I was. I gave my thoughts and then went off topic and wrote a novel. Sorry.

707 was good, but I wanted more from a landmark episode. The scenes with Grover and his son, Chin and Sara and Lynn’s meet and greet with Cath were misplaced in this episode. The time taken should have been used for the main story. Even .mentioning Danny’s name was a wasted line. This was not a time for filler. We needed meat, not potatoes. So many questions were left unanswered, but in retrospect, that may have been done intentionally.

Now we know Cath would have said yes to McG’s proposal, had he bothered to ask with all the of the opportunities he had but wasted. That’s on him, not her. Loved Michelle back in action and thought Christine was wonderful and using her own daughter as young Doris was brilliant. But as far as explaining Doris’ actions? Or Cath” actions? That was a big fail for me but probably perfectly fine with the casual viewer. I will now ship DaddyDo because the relationship between those two characters smacks of a long ago clandestine love affair. Cath leaves again, wishes Steve well and McG now thinks its over for good and maybe Lynn is still waiting at his house doing the dishes. Keep dreaming, McGarrett. She’s in the discard pile with the rest of the female characters, just as we predicted. Had you looked closely, you would have seen the expiration date stamped on her forehead (under those sad bangs). The good news is that we will see both Cath and Doris again.

Here’s the bad news. Unfortunately, 707 was clouded by some very interesting interviews, both by AOL and the EP. How I wish we had a time machine to fix this.

AOL spoke strongly about his feelings for some story lines and may not see eye to eye with the writers. He seems unhappy about dropped stories, lack of continuity, and the writing in general. The story with Cath coming back and leaving again is only one of many things he takes issue with, and my guess its not even in the top ten and only came up because her return was part of the 150th episode. We apparently don’t know everything. We criticize the writers all the time but we are not employees. Things may rightly bother him creatively
but he has known from day one that this is an action show written solely for entertaining the Friday night crowd and it does that very well, mainly because of him. It is not great literature and doesn’t pretend to be. Something must have occurred recently to cause him to make these comments. What I heard from him was anger, not philosophy. Alex thinks Steve is done with Cath. He will always love her, but he’s done- and AOL is so sure that Steve would be crazy to take her back and won’t because….well,Lynn is cute and good in bed. (Really?)
That doesn’t make his opinion wrong. It is just that PL has other ideas. Here he is talking only about what AOL himself thinks Steve should do, given what he knows only from the scripts he has read so far. What Steve will ultimately do is another story and he can’t speak for that character even if he wants to. He’s an actor-a very good one. He gets the script and does his best to convey what is written to the viewers. Only PL and the writers can control what the characters say and do, and no matter how well an actor understands the character, or we wish we could change some things, none of us has a say about what direction a story
will take. And its absurd for anyone to “hate” AOL for his words or “hate” PL for his. It is just plain stupid and vicious. But no matter what went down, it should have remained private.

And now this is pure speculation, but could a suggestion have been made for Sarah C. to become a recurring cast member since she had been written out of her own series? Was it rebuffed by the TPTB who had already planned her exit? Was this information just learned recently? Maybe this whole thing was really less about McG taking Cath back and feeling like a fool and more about asking for something and expecting the input to matter. Maybe he has made other suggestions which were ignored. Maybe he asked for time off or some less active scripts like some others do and was refused. Maybe he got tired of going along and just
enjoying the ride. Who knows. Then his comments might make sense. This is all speculation, nothing more.

AOL’s words were out of character for him because he is a private person and so I am going to attribute them to his physical pain and frustration having to play a character which sometimes must seem like he is in a comic book. He may have been surprised that PL would have a public reaction to his interviews. Don’t think for one moment this is not being addressed. I just hope they clear the air, put this behind them and move on. We need peace in the valley for them, even if we can’t get it in the fandom.

This is what PL had to say to counter AOL’s comments. Obviously, the whole point was to leave no doubt as to who was calling the shots.

Here are the pertinent quotes (and I only believe what is attributed to PL if I read it in quotes) You can read the whole article from Parade.com.

PL’s quote #1 “I don’t know if Lynn is somebody that Steve can spend the rest of his life with. She definitely was a good person to spend time with. I don’t want to give away too much, but I don’t think Lynn is in the future.”

The ABC’s are still shipping McLynn because they can’t read.

Quote #2: (This is referring to Catherine leaving) “I think she’s always going to be part of this series until it ends. I think this is just a story that we’re telling along the way. I think her story with McGarrett is definitely not over yet.”

How much clearer can the man be? Endgame.

All of this was also out of character for PL, too, because he always likes to present the cast and crew as Ohana but all these interviews, both his and AOL’s,were like hanging out the wash and realizing you forgot to use detergent. I think he was given no choice but to step in and get ahead of a story which was being interpreted, and misinterpreted all over the fan sites. Some ABC’s and McDannos are saying that even AOL wants the Cath story gone and the EP should listen to him, meaning them. Since AOL doesn’t know where the story is going, I doubt that is true. The dueling interviews just made PL tip his hand early. He is not
changing anything because 1. he doesn’t want to and 2. because to do so now would look like he was weak and giving up creative control. Lenkov has crossed the Rubicon. Alea iacta est, folks.

The second half of the season has already been planned. Some scripts are written and some are being polished. My guess is that 725 will have two endings–one for a series finale and one as a cliff hanger for a possible S8. I believe that was the intention for 525. We won’t know until CBS announces its decision, but I think PL may get an early heads up.

As much as I would love to have a S8, I would rather see AOL leave at the end of S7 and get healthy than come back for S8 and leave injured.

I would give this a love if I could Mama. It hurt to read AOL’s comments the day after the show. But I do blame the writing that made him think that McG would be an idiot to take Cath back. Her absence could have been written so differently if they had only given it more thought. But that is just me coming from a McRoll viewpoint which I won’t deny. It does seem that PL and Alex need to talk.

I too was surprised to hear AOL speak so candidly. It may be because he’s hurting and tired but he also sounds angry. Love your analogy of hanging out the wash and forgetting to use detergent. I know there’s two sides to every story and sometimes even more depending on ones politics. I hope O’Loughlin feels better and Lenkov and he kiss and make up before season 8, (if there is to be one), . . . and wait! Someone’s
hating on AOL? Do I have to kick some ass?

I hope you don’t think I am hating on Alex. I would never. It just made me sad to read he felt Steve and Cath should not get back together. I have followed Alex’s career since the very beginning of Moonlight. He is entitled to his opinion and I understand. My argument is mainly with how the writers decided to deal with Catherine’s comings and goings.

We know, babe. You are never an Alex-hater. And yeah he did seem really frustrated with Show and how his ideas and input has been handled…or not handled. Y’all remember he was so excited about them working his idea to have PTSD? Look at how atPLenkov handled that. I’m sure Alex, with all his boo boos, is frustrated at some of the same bizarro twists and dropped SLs that we are.

Oh, no! I didn’t mean that you were the one hating on Alex. I was trying to reply to what mamayorkie said had been happening. That people were hating either AOL or Lenkov for their views. I know you’re one of the legion of AOL admirers as am I. I still want to kick someone’s ass though; just not yours 🙂

Sam, I have to say I wasn’t sure how you were going to view this episode. As usual you hit all the main points right on the head. After all the pre-show press I was rather hesitant to watch even though I never miss an episode. I was afraid of what I would see. And I will admit that reading an interview on Saturday morning that Alex gave TV Guide, I was very annoyed with PL for not talking to his star about his vision of where the Steve/Cath relationship was going. Now I have had a few days to calm down I am mellowing out a bit.

First off let me say I thought the same thing about Danny when I heard Grover grilling his son. How could there be an episode without the character and I was still annoyed with the guy. I admire how Will stood up to his dad about the whole spying business. I feel for Chin but if he and Abby are so close why was it necessary for Kono to babysit? I get the feeling that Abby wants nothing to do with the girl and yes I do know that the actress may not be available.

I do agree that the banter between Steve and Lynn was cute and thank you, thank you, thank you for the lovely photos of Steve getting ready for his date. Oh my! Of course the meal would get interrupted and I agree that it was no mistake that Lynn let that info on the proposal slip into the conversation. I also liked how that Cath knew Steve well enough that he couldn’t let Doris rot in prison for trying to free Papa Fat. I did see how Steve sure made no effort to give Lynn much of a goodbye. No hug at all.

As for the rescue……I don’t get how they could get there, know what they did and have all the supplies needed without help but then we have come to expect that from this show. Yes…Chin really should have knocked, what was he thinking? The rescue was fun, the dialogue between Steve and Doris was perfect and I do enjoy Christine. I thought it was cool that her daughter played young Doris, nice touch.

The goodbyes were well done. I still don’t understand how the team won’t get in trouble with their participation since Steve did call Doris “Ma” in front of the CIA men. Just having Papa Fat loose is enough to protect them? I am glad that Steve did ask Catherine what her answer would be if he had proposed. It was rather bittersweet to have her say yes. I truly do hope that they bring her back but they have to make his forgiveness real. I hate PL for making Cath CIA…..couldn’t they find another reason for her to have gone? Ugh. But I did vote awesome because we got Catherine back on our screens and it was fun if not completely believable.

you know, I’m just going to throw this out and it may have NO bearing whatsoever on anything. But who is to say that Alex wasn’t doing interviews from a script so to speak and that he was saying things Peter wanted said? We don’t know what PL has in mind and he may want to keep everyone guessing. I was all upset last week (Sam almost put me over the edge a couple of times…) but I’ve pretty much calmed down. We will get what we get and in Peter’s time. I’m sure I will always want more than he is willing to give, but that’s life.

I think he still loves going to work and working with the people and all. But I think he’s not that happy with the material he sometimes has to work with. But the process of actual working is still fun for him. At least he said so.

I got the impression that he would dump the whole Hollywood scene if he could and find another kind of work. Directing might satisfy his need to be creative while preserving his health and protecting his and his family’s future. I don’t think he cared whose toes he stepped on doing those interviews at this point, because doing a season 8 is his work ethic commitment and not what he necessarily would have chosen to do had he realized how injured he was. He may also not be taking any strong medications to deal with pain so those grimaces we saw may be real. We all try to power through the pain but sometimes, and I think in his case, he is dealing with more than one injury. Considering how much pain he may be in, I don’t think he would be terribly upset if S8 was not renewed and for him it could be a blessing. Consider that SC, DDK and now GP all are involved in other projects and have taken time off leaving him to do what he refers to as the heavy lifting.

As far as my feeling that PL’s quote regarding Cath/Steve’s future being endgame, I stand by that, because the impetus for it was a result of AOL’s comments during his interview and PL probably felt he could not let that slide and was sending a message. I can see the motivation on both their parts and appreciate that each was having a reaction to internal things of which we probably have no knowledge. How closely is CBS watching this and will it impact their decision on renewal? For the network it is just business, not Ohana.

I am just disappointed that we even need to discuss this. I’d rather none of it happened.

Wow. Your review was perfect (although I had to wait all day for it…) I can’t really think of anything to add. I LOVED the opening scenes with Steve cooking and getting ready; enjoyed the banter between him and Lynn and loved the fact that when he heard Cath on the phone, the first thing he said was “are you all right?” Then the two women together… no way was Lynn’s comment to Cath unintentional. That was calculated. Maybe even a final dig because she knew at that time that she had just received her walking papers.

Love Steve coming down the steps to that chilly living room and I love the fact that he didn’t set down his backpack to tell Lynn goodbye. That escaped me. The scene on the plane was good; pretty gut wrenching. there HAS to be a reason she didn’t tell him about the CIA. I am still convinced he was threatened and that is why she did all that she did. Pretty crappy, but yes, this is the CIA.

The op itself/travel times/luck that Steve was still in the place they last pinged his phone/etc. has lots of flaws and could be picked totally apart. But none of that detracted from the show for me. I was watching this for the wonderful relationships. The acting was superb and lots of things were said that needed to be said.

You are right – Steve and Mom (well, Alex and Christine) are wonderful together. Even at times when I haven’t even liked her, I loved their scenes together. I LOVED her comment when he didn’t bring zip ties… “who raised you?” I laughed out loud at that. I also loved his “we needed help 2 minutes ago” snark to Catherine.

I do hope someone went back and untied that needy guy from the chair. …

As for the scenes on the tarmac, they were wonderful. Steve is at peace with mom and I loved that he thanked Cath for calling him. He and Cath are in a decent place now. I hadn’t thought about it, but they did sort of do a proposal, didn’t they? Maybe some day they can do it again.

Because… you said it so well… he is not over her. At all. Period. Look at that face. He was SO good in those scenes.

OK, I will shut up… because in the first line, I did say I didn’t have anything to add…

except AWESOME. 🙂 Thanks for all your work on this review. I know you spent many hours on it. And it and the photos were totally GREAT.

Suuuuuch an enjoyable review, Sam. I think I may have enjoyed the review more than the ep. Hehehe!

Good observation about Alex not watching the actual edited broadcast version of the eps. Also hells yeah! The cooking scene was Alex, not McG. 😉

I enjoyed the reunion and our couple acts the shiiiite outta their various scenes. So did McMama. These 3 steal the show no matter what or how tired the plot. I’d watch these 3 work each other every week in their own show. 😉

Alex needs more credit for his subtlety in acting with this now-beloved character. He made this character by the kind of performance he gave this week…and he’s made this show. All the <3's!!!!!!!!!

I enjoyed the ep just fine, but I noticed the idiosyncrasies and plot holes and ridic elements and found them distracting. More so,than even in normal eps.

But we got an Alex centric ep with a large side of Cath and Doris. So I'm good.

I may even rewatch this ep instead of Friday's…which looks destined to irk the peeturds outta me. I'll maybe read your review first before sacrificing my chi on that sucker!

Fabulous review! You spoke exactly how i feel about Steve/Catherine and Steve/Lynn. Cath will always be the love of his life. He has been trying to move forward, and Lynn is convenient, but not the endgame.
Christine Lahti and Alex rock! They are totally believable as mom and son. And as you said, he may not believe everything she says, but he has made peace with it. Loved him reading the journal!
I did not noticed the scar on the arm — good catch! I do think it’s funny that the major bullet wound is now in a different place than when the paramedics were treating him. LOL.
As I wrote on Intense Study’s page, I wish Kono and Cath had at least hugged. I’m sure Kono harbors bad feelings after how Cath left Steve, but these two were close at one time. Something should have transpired between them.
Thank you for this wonderful insight and gorgeous pictures!

ya’ll all said pretty much what I was thinking. This ep was all about Steve’s faces for me. He almost brought me to tears multiple times, and I only cry at funerals.
As far as Steve and Doris go, I felt like they must have had an off camera conversation since nothing new was revealed to us.
The cath interactions were perfect because things could be considered resolved or could be renewed in the future.
I hope AOL is not upset about this storyline. The one face I was uncomfortable with was the eye roll because it felt like AOL was annoyed with the scene.
Sarah is cute, but i’ve seen enough with her and Chin until something actually changes. WAAAy too much time was spent on the Grace/Lou’s son story. (so many people on twitter thought they were genius’s for figuring out they are dating)
Oh, bonus points for that “mirror” scene.

This is the only episode this season that I have watched, because I saw your preview post about Cath being in it. It was a delight to see Cath again. I love the actress and think she’s awesome. I also love how, despite these horridly long time periods between her showing up in an episode, she picks up with Steve and works seamlessly with him personally and professionally as if there had been no distance between them at all. She just outclasses every other female on the show (IMHO). I hope they will be wise enough to bring her back again.

1. The Grover/Danny/Grace/Will dating storyline had NO BUSINESS in this milestone ep. well really any ep, but especially this one. Those precious minutes could’ve been used on the mythology. and I sure hope that’s not the new storyline spurred from this ep!
2. Chin/Sarah are sweet together. I feel bad for Chin… he deserves something good
3. Not a fan of Lynn, and that slip up on the proposal.. yeah. not an accident. buh-bye.
4 The conversation between Cath and McG on the cargo plane.. I needed more. Who recruited her and why? Was it coerced? Did she really intend to deceive Steve when she returned in 6.25? Would she have told him more if he’d made time to talk to her? I’m sure she had no idea Steve was intending to propose since he, you know.. never gave her any commitment. must’ve happened off screen. I can’t hold Steve blameless in the state of their relationship. They aren’t finished IMO. Where it is gonna go, I have not idea. Frankly, I’m getting tired of the ride.. PL needs to find a better way to move it along than 1 or 2 eps a year. These characters aren’t getting any younger and neither am I!
5 It made me sad that not one person spoke to Cath during the op other than Steve.
6. I don’t understand how or why mama feels guilty about what she did to papa fat’s family but it was ok to do the same to her own family. I’ve always wondered if John McG was aware of her faked death. How did he know about Wo Fat?
7 Alex, Christine and Michelle are magical on screen.. in any combination.
8. I don’t want Alex to be hurting, ever. Those interviews are a 180 from his usual diplomatic self. Don’t know what’s up but I hope that all gets aired out.
That’s it for now. Great review!

Thanks for the lovely long review. This episode certainly warranted it. I agree that the Steve/Cath relationship was the best on television. There haven’t been that many shows in this genre that took as much time building up something so rock steady, (and took so little time to blow the whole thing to hell). At least they didn’t kill her. Still haven’t forgiven them for offing Malia.

Lynn is okay even if her hair isn’t. She’s still not Cath, and she knows it. This episode was great not for just pretty much everything else but for giving us the opportunity to see Cath and Lynn side-by-side. From what I see by the comparison, Lynn should pack her bags now. I don’t know that the woman was ‘marking her territory’ by letting it slip about the ring but it was a giant booboo. Steve did not appear happy that it happened.

Doris is Doris. She will continue to come and go as she pleases and, though she loves her son, she doesn’t appear to have the skills or the inclination to do much about it. Steve will have to take what he can get and he knows that now. Their scenes together were incredibly well done. Even though there was some dynamite dialogue in this one, my favorite was Steve’s words: “it was the last time, for a very long time.” That one just stomped my heart to pieces and made me love Steve and Alex O’Loughlin’s portrayal of him all the more. I hope she returns in future episodes.

In the last couple seasons Danny’s obsession with his daughter has gone from merely annoying to downright creepy. I hope they fix that.

If this is the last season, I’d be sad but also happy. From the last couple interviews, Mr. O’Loughlin sounds exhausted, wrecked, angry at the TPTB, and perhaps at himself as well. Though I’d miss it terribly, maybe the show shouldn’t go any further than this season. The only reason I watch H50 needs time to rest and get healthy again.

Wait a minute. Is it possible that after Doris was sent to kill Wo Fat’s father but killed his wife instead, they fell in love and that’s why she cared for Wo Fat until she was forced to leave him and get a new identity and life in Hawaii? Did she marry John McG because she thought Daddy Fat was lost to her? Did Daddy Fat get taken into custody all those years ago and did Doris leave her family to try to locate him because he was her one true love and that’s where she has been hiding out all the time she was supposed to be dead? I bet he cleans up nice after a hair cut and expensive suit. Will he be Steve’s new stepfather? Is Wo Fat still alive? OK I’ve got to stop that. Wo Fat is dead, Wo Fat is dead. Wo Fat is dead, Wo …….. Did we ever see a body? So maybe he’s still………..no, Wo Fat is dead, Wo Fat is dead……….but, this is H50, so maybe………….?

I truly hope Wo Fat is dead. And yes, we did see the body, with the bullet between his eyes. Or did we? LOL
No, it was time for him to go. That story-line got ridiculous.
But unfortunately they simply don’t have a great villain. Gabriel was a joke, that woman also just crap, and the psycho-woman can’t be taken seriously.
Maybe Five-0 doesn’t need a long-time villain. Maybe it would be better to go from week to week, and focus more on the crime of the week, and on occasion on the character development. Just a thought of course. 🙂

You made my day, mamayorkie. I’m afraid your scenario is probably too close to what we may be seeing in upcoming episodes but it was funny as heck. If I was a guy, (or a dog), I’d ask you to have my puppies.

Awesome episode one of my top 5
I loved this episode even though it was sad, the end of my fav couple story. I don’t like how Peter has made Cath into the bad girl and leaving Steve all the time and making her like Doris. Peter has ruined Catherine.
Loved all the scene with Steve and Doris and all the flash backs they have great chemistry together.
Loved seeing Catherine back and still have great chemistry with Steve
Very sad scene at the air port Steve just need to say stay and marry me as he was the one to break them up Cath was waiting for it.
I do not like Lynn she was evil telling Catherine about the ring.
Loved the team coming to Help
I feel really sad for Chin that he has lost Sarah but looking forward to ep 11 and 12 for that story line.
I am hopping Peter will get rid of Lynn and just have Steve single from now on. I am finished with shipping any couples from now on. I will only be rooting for Steve, Chin and Grover and for the story lines they do.
I feel really sad for Alex and all his injures he sound very unhappy and looks like he has fallen out with Peter. After ready all the interviews and seeing what Alex think of Steve
and Catherine he has but a boot into Peter’s story so now he will have to fined a new ending to Five 0 because no one will believe it if they end with Steve and Catherine together.

I think you’re wrong about Steve breaking it up. Steve did ask. The first he asked was if Cath is happy, and she said yes. There was no way she would leave her job. He knew that. And at that moment neither of them was ready to be togehter.
The two of them are not done. You know, people do change, they do develop with time. They can find their way back to each other, and there will be nothing stupid or unbelievable about it. Relationships can be very complicated, and they are both very strong people. If they are meant to be together they will be together. If not, they at least have a decade full of wonderful memories.
Steve and Cath had been together for a very long time, long before we ever met them. Steve and Cath had been together, broke it off, she had been with Billy for a short while, and they got back together. And ALL that before we even met them in 2010. You do the math of how long these two have been together. This is just another hurdle. They will find their way back.
But if you want to give up on them and only watch for the three men on the show, that is also perfectly fine. 🙂

Thanks for the recap 🙂 Looks like many of us had their eyes widened after reading Alex´s recent interviews. I always thought Alex is better than this show, and would prefer it to end soon (I will hate if there´s S8). It´s heart breaking to hear him now even doubt his acting skills. I blame the H50 for making him feel he should be behind the camera instead in front of it. I would love to see him directing too, but always acting primarily.
The scenes with Cath and especially Doris, showed us again, how wonderful Alex is portraying a wide range of emotions.
Some of the physical stuff (dragging the knocked out guy) made me think his back is hating that hard physical labour. Even him getting up from the ground with face showing strain, made me think it might be real pain showing.
Would be lovely to have Cath and Steve back together. But PL mentioned Claire Forlani was apparently a new potential love interest, so who knows.
At least Steve seems to have come to terms with Doris, and there was some forgiveness between them.
Shame these type of character stuff come so rarely on H50, we might not even see any till the end…

I thought the episode was great. I love love love seeing Alex, Michelle and Christine back together on screen. That alone was worth all the grief I had to endure with Alex’s interviews before hand. He was out of line and completely off base from what actually appeared on screen, but that is between him and Lenkov. I wish they would have given Cath the opportunity to call Steve out on his contribution to their failed relationship. He was not so perfect himself and maybe if he would have made the time to talk, she would have told him the truth. I don’t know. I hate they turned sweet, I’ll risk my life and career for you, Cath into this spy who lies and breaks hearts. I’m thrilled we are done with Wofat and I don’t really care that I still have no clue what that storyline was about.
Danny, Danny,Danny! Talk to your daughter! Ask her! Don’t have others do your dirty work for you. Or maybe just check her phone, you work for the five-0 task force .You have access to that stuff. If you can’t figure it out, ask anyone with a teenager, they’ll show you how to do it. Lol.
Chin and Sarah are cute but honestly, I have zero interest in this story line.
It was nice to have Michelle back and I’m not sure if we will see her again or not. The screen lit up when she and Alex did their scenes and I only hope we have a chance to experience that again.

Alex doesn’t watch Show, so he doesn’t know what parts of what he films will actually make it on to tv. So he must feel very surprised/disappointed, often, when what he saw as a seminal moment goes *poof* and never *happens*.

Maybe he oughta bite the bullet and watch. He is implicated in what appears on screen even if he had no power in it. I dunno. But he does seem sad and over it. He’ll do S8 cos he honors his word. And I think he’ll be very picky what he agrees to do, and with whom he agrees to work, after this.

I appreciate his interviews, as downer as some were, cos it let’s us know he is a bit disappointed, as we are, in what we get vs what coulda been.

Since most here seem to rather be talking about the interviews than the episode, let’s talk about that for a moment.

I blame solely the EP for not appreciating what kind of gem he has in his leading man. The EP always commends tiny, minor things from the others, but rarely, if ever says anything about the amazing stuff his main guy gives week after week.
I have no idea what happens behind closed doors, but to the outside he is one of the shittiest EPs I have ever seen on a show, at least regarding his lead man.

I don’t think Alex O wanted to end it too soon; he has said many times that the stability this show gives him is more important to him than living out his creative side. He did sign for another two seasons, he surely had his reasons for it. I am sure none of what he said was meant as complaining per se. But showing that he has thought about his future and came to a decision. Nothing wrong with that, on the contrary.
But that doesn’t mean he hoped the show ended a few seasons back. He himself said he wants to go out on a high note, and that the show still has some magic left.

I hope that the show will dial down on a the load that he has to carry, at least action wise. I don’t want any condition he might have to get any worse. They should consider (and he too) that he is 40. I don’t expect either Steve or Alex do the stuff a 30-year-old can do. They should adapt the character to the age. That would be wise and believable.

I don’t see any wars between the EP and Alex O. Alex has always spoken what he thought the character was thinking. He did it when Doris came back into his life (remember the 16-minute interview on set?), he talked about what was going on between Steve and Cath before (SOTB S4 he said they were now living together, and they weren’t). There is nothing new about him voicing his thoughts about what Steve should do, what he thinks the guy will do. But as always, Alex O can’t see the big picture, because A) he doesn’t watch the show, and B) he really has no idea what PL wants.
So, anything he says about Steve is just what he thinks Steve feels at this moment in time. He doesn’t know how the story will change, or how Steve will change in the future. And he has been wrong about most of his predictions in the past. 🙂
But I really admire him for saying his mind regardless of it being totally wrong to what will actually happen.

Just the timing of the interviews sucked, they should not have come out before the episode aired.

I don’t think Alex O is angry. He did sound frustrated about some of the writing, and that must be difficult to deal with. Just imagine you have worked your ass off to portray this character, you think you know him inside and out. But the writers throw stuff at you, that you KNOW the character would never, ever do. But you still have to act the shit out of it. I would be so miffed about it. So, yeah, maybe he is a bit angry, too. 😉

PL’s quote #1 “I don’t know if Lynn is somebody that Steve can spend the rest of his life with. She definitely was a good person to spend time with. I don’t want to give away too much, but I don’t think Lynn is in the future.”
This doesn’t contradict what Alex O said at all. Alex said in one of the interviews: …I don’t think he’s going to rush into anything but I do think he’s going to have a good time with Lynn OR WHOEVER it is he’s going to hang around with…
That is pretty much the same as saying “I don’t think Lynn is in the future”

Quote #2: (This is referring to Catherine leaving) “I think she’s always going to be part of this series until it ends. I think this is just a story that we’re telling along the way. I think her story with McGarrett is definitely not over yet.”
Seeing this as the quote for Cath and Steve being endgame is a bit far-fetched. Her story not being over doesn’t mean anything really. Don’t get me wrong, I DO believe they are endgame, but this does not say that. It’s just one interpretation.
And thinking from Steve’s perspective, that is what Alex was doing, at this point they are over. And at this point Steve would be an idiot to get involved with her. He is not ready for that, and she isn’t either.
I’m sure there will be another episode where Steve maybe saves Cath again, and they will find out that both their lives have changed. That what they want from life has changed. Only then will they have a chance to be together, and I’m sure Steve will not look like an idiot to ‘take’ her back then.

I won’t speculate on the injuries Alex has sustained, how many would have been preventable, or how serious they are. If they are acute injuries, or more like degeneration due to injury and time. He does seem fit enough to do BJJ and go surfing, so I guess it is more of the latter. (Quote: Dude, I was a fit, strong, healthy guy when I started the show, and I still am, but you sustain what you sustain.)
I hope he will take good care of any health issues he might have. That certainly is more important than any TV show.
Yes, I do want another season, but only if that wouldn’t worsen Alex O’s health. But he will know what is right for him, and will act accordingly. I think he is a bit wiser in that regard now.

I don’t think it was totally out of character to give us this information. Over the last few years, living happily in Hawaii, he has given us some insight into his life. A lot more than before. I think having a happy family life made him open up a little more. I think he found a great balance keeping his kids out of the spotlight, and giving glimpses into his life. I think these interviews fit that balance very well.

Anyway, I didn’t post the interviews for a reason. I prefer to discuss the characters and not real life people.
I do that on occasion, and there is one site out there that does a wonderful job with it. If you want to read about the interviews and discuss them in length you can head over to Intense Study (if you haven’t done that already you REALLY should). They are doing a fantastic job, giving us the best about Alex O.
Always with great respect and a hell of a lot of love.

I could never do such a great job with a real person, that is why this site is mostly focused on the fictional characters.

But I have no problem with you guys discussing it here because I know you all enjoy and respect Alex O’Loughlin and his work.

I think he is aware but for some reason can’t express it. He does on very rare occasions.
Maybe it’s a mental thing why he can’t do it. I don’t know, but I have never seen this behavior with any other show.
As I said, we don’t know about their relationship behind the scenes, but what we see and hear in public is not good.

Maybe PL is simply jealous of Alex. Alex being good looking, athletic and great actor (and every woman seems to lust for him). Lovely persona and makes friends everywhere. Whereas PL seems to be a small man with no charisma and needs his ego stroked constantly 😛

Just read PL’s interview with TV Guide. Apparently he hasn’t talked to Alex and feels the show can go on without McGarrett. He believes that the audience cares enough about the whole khans they’ve built that one character leaving won’t hurt it. He thinks Alex is just tired and episodes with less McG are just as popular as Steve heavy ones. The man is out of touch with reality.

The most important thing first: I voted awesome. Because it was. The acting was awesome, means first and foremost Alex O’Loughlin. He acted the shit outta this. Again. This made it a fantastic episode. The ‘supposed to be closure’ or the storyline? Not so much.
But you know what is awesome too? This review. I know how much time you’ve put in this and it is terrific. I enjoyed it tremendously. So many opinions, so many psychs out there and all there opinions and psych abilities are biased by what or whom they ship. So obviously biased. And I am so tired of this crap. Lashing out on an actor because he has an opinion about a character he portrayed perfectly for freaking seven years now. To belittle a character you know not much about just to let ‘your’ character shine. Or to praise the crap out of a character you know not much about just to belittle the character you don’t like at all. No good style if you ask me.
You did nothing of this. Your opinion is not clouded by your love for Cath and McRoll. And I highly appreciate that. You rock girl!!!

I didn’t expect I needed CATHARSIS for this episode but I do. →…how can someone annoy me to no end when he is not even in the episode? ← Hm, I must have heard this line like – hm – yesterday? LOL. Wise words, really wise words. DoubleLOL. Well Dannoying must be a real control freak? With no interpersonal skills. Just ask your daughter for God’s sake. Or trust her! And I too don’t like Lou in this scheme. No no no. But I love Will. He is the adult one here (and of course the boyfriend). Hope he rips Dannoying a new one next week! The boy who plays Will is great btw!

So onto the important stuff. Steve in the kitchen. Be still my heart. Really. This is so much fun to see Steve this way. Playful, relaxed and in pleasant anticipation of a night full of … fun. I think we saw some of Alex here, people say he is a great chef. And thank you show for letting me be the mirror. Damn, this man is fine!
And I loved the fun conversation with Lynn, their playfulness. It feels good to see Steve this way. He deserves it.
And then shit hits the fan. Poor guy. Cock blocked by mommy dearest again. Kind of.
I think both women handled the situation well and here is the one thing I disagree with you and everyone else I think 🙂 . I don’t think Lynn let the proposal slip on purpose. It wasn’t acted that way, neither by Sarah nor by Michelle. But it is not important because the writers use Lynn as a simple plot device. And that is so disappointing because she could be so much more. As someone working with troubled kids she could cross paths with 5-0 or Steve and Nahele. But I digress.

I won’t say much about the mission because you did it perfectly. The storyline and time line was stupid, do the writers know where Morocco is?
LLWL gave closure? You’re kidding me writers don’t ya? She told us nothing knew. She was a killer for the CIA but is guilt ridden for 40something years because she killed the wrong person. And her only purpose in life is to free the husband left behind? The one she originally was supposed to kill? And this man, Daddy Fat and his son Wo Fat too, and her guilt are more important than her own flesh and blood? Really Doris? She lied to him again and again and again. Her son was tortured because of her – twice. He witnessed the death of his father, her husband. All because of her actions. Does she even know that? We don’t know. All we know is that Steve has trust issues because of this woman. And her reaction was just “Get over it”. Seems that Steve is way more forgiving then I ever would be. So Steve comes to save her a$$ and instead of being grateful she puts him and his team in danger again by refusing to go without Daddy Fat. I don’t get that woman. Did anybody else wanted to punch her after she asked “Who raised you?” Wow. How insensible can someone be? And what me irked too – big time – was that nobody asked Steve about his well being. No one. Not Doris and Cath neither. That made me really sad. The moment Steve answered to “Go to hell” ‘Already there pal’ was for me the saddest moment of this episode.
A few words about Cath. I wasn’t a McRoll shipper before and this episode did not change my mind. At all. She abandoned him, she hurt him, she lied to him. There was no need to. She didn’t tell the truth when she came back. She simply lied, maybe because it is easier, I don’t know. Classified he understands. Lying? Not so much. She is like Doris in a way. When I look at her I see Team Cath. When I look at Doris I see Team Doris. I don’t see Team GOSH. But I am Team GOSH. So she would have said yes. Aha. And then? Would she have lied regardless and left? Would she have stayed with him? Then she had a choice. And then? She blew it as she left the Navy without any backup plan. Steve supported her in everything she did, but obviously it was not enough for her. Now she’s happy. So be it. Your actions can destroy love. I think you’re right Sam, I don’t think Steve is still in love with her. He loves her, and will always love her. But she messed it up. And I have no freaking idea how the writers will fix this mess when she is coming back. If it will be like ‘hey that was a mistake, I am no longer happy’ “I am available” like Alex feared it in an interview and Steve takes her back then quite frankly yes then he is indeed an idiot.
I don’t trust the writers that much that they can come up with a good satisfying happy ending for those two. This closure was exactly as I feared it would be. Not very well thought out.
Still waiting for my McRoll moment to come. Now on to a Steve with lots of fun. I would love to see him with some local woman. There must be a lot around who remember him from school. Not only Jenny Feldman. But we will have to wait and see.
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.
——-
That being said let me get a little bit OT here. It is 8/11 over here and there are other things to be anxious about than a TV show. So please, US people, vote vote vote! I am begging you. Spit out that orange skittle and flush it down the toilet! Thank you!

And the Jenny Feldman. I have bitched since S1 that is it impossible the divorcees and still unmarrieds from Kukui High didn’t line up at his door with coconut pies and home-made malasadas and Hawaiian roasted pork and any number of “look at me, I’m available” homecoming gifts. It coulda been a whole entire episode. 😉

Oh I know! I loved that scene. She was so caring and did know exactly how he felt because of Doris.
I was talking about liver, you know. I really missed some liver-talk, if only a short question. He nearly died!

Sorry I’m late to the party again.
There are so many great comments here and much of what I think has been said already.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Sam for this amazing review. Sam, you put countless hours in writing these, and this one here was especially long and in depth. Believe me, it is much appreciated! Week after week I look forward to what you write because you manage to to actually analyze instead of giving a mere summary with a couple of thoughts and wishes added.

I gave this episode an awesome as well. After all we read and heard before I actually dreaded 7.07 but it turned out to be so much better then I thought.
I was the one who always believed in PL’s masterplan. And I still do. It will however most likely not play out the way I hoped. Too much has happened and PL chose to send his characters on a path that I don’t like and find unnecessary.
I do think that Steve and Cath might find their way back together after some more explaining and some more healing. But since we are nearing the end of the series I am worried that we will see them in the very last episode literally crying over what could have been. I hope I’m wrong. Though I’m absolutely pro Cath, with the things we know now I would have preferred to end it in style (best after 4.21 already) and let Steve have the possibility to venture out with someone else or not, as I don’t think this has to have a place on a crime show.

Well, only time will tell. But despite all love drama, Dannoying and other flaws this is my favorite show and I will be extremely sad to see it end although I completely agree with Alex – let’s go out on a high note!